Alcatel-Lucent / Scales back job cuts in France under govn’t pressure

Franco-American telecom gear group Alcatel-Lucent will cut fewer jobs in France than previously planned under moves to slash 10,000 posts worldwide in an attempt to stem losses, its chief executive told Le Monde newspaper.

The French share of the cuts will now amount to less than 700, down from 900 announced last year, Michel Combes told the daily in an interview published on its website on Wednesday.

Alcatel has come under pressure over the cost-cutting plans from France’s ruling Socialist politicians, who are struggling to tackle high unemployment and at one stage warned that the government could use new rules to block the job cuts.

As recently as last week, Industry Minister Arnaud Montebourg pressed Alcatel to make a bigger effort to preserve jobs and facilities in France. Combes has said the restructuring plan is its last chance to turn the company around.

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor. Read the whole story at 

via Alcatel scales back French job cuts | Reuters.